Garden finds a new home

A Palmerston North public garden project that looked doomed has found a new home.

Crewe Community Garden looks set to put down roots at Awapuni Park.

The city council’s sport and recreation committee has recommended leasing a 2500-squaremetre portion of the park to the Pascal St Community Trust despite some opposition that has been put down as ‘‘nimbyism’’.

Community trustee Jono Naylor said it was really encouraging that councillors had heard the plea not to be swayed by misinformed and narrow-minded ‘‘not in my backyard’’ objections.

Their decision meant the community garden would be able to survive.

Naylor said after a year working with the council to find a site to replace its plot in Hokowhitu, which was being sold for housing, the garden project was losing momentum and was at risk of being closed down.

And manager David Mellor said it was quite emotional to see that at the end of a robust debate, gardening would be able to resume this summer.

He said the garden provided not just food for those who participated, but a range of skills, including language skills, as it helped dozens of families including many refugees to get involved in the community.

Mellor said the past year had been ‘‘demoralising, disappointing and frustrating’’.

He said most of the opposition to the garden’s relocation had been down to a small group of people not prepared to ‘‘open their minds’’ to the potential of bringing fresh activity to the park.

‘‘We have been great neighbours, and I can’t recall any negative feedback in the past.

‘‘The problem is people not liking change.’’

Naylor said the first task – if the lease is confirmed by the full council – would be to knock on doors around the park, to improve residents’ understanding and invite local people to get involved in growing their own food.

‘‘We certainly do not want people hurling insults over fences.’’

The committee began with a recommendation from chairwoman Leonie Hapeta to refuse the lease.

She said the council had been through a consultation phase, and had to respect that there was opposition.